ROUND 1: CURRENT EVENTS

1. To support a U.S. bid to host the 2016 Olympics, President Obama spoke at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee. What U.S. city was bidding for the Olympics?Chicago

2. That U.S. city failed to the clear the first round. What city ultimately won the bid for the 2016 Games?
Rio (OR Rio de Janeiro)

3. Who has replaced Paula Abdul as a judge on American Idol for this upcoming season?Ellen DeGeneres [Ellen acceptable]

4. President Obama, delivering on a campaign promise to his two girls, got them a dog. What is the First Dog’s name?Bo

5. South Carolina governor Mark Sanford disappeared for a few days in June. Where did Governor Sanford initially say he was to explain his absence?The Appalachian Trail

6. Governor Sanford was actually in a South American country visiting his mistress. What is the country?Argentina

7. A representative from South Carolina yelled out “You Lie!” during President Obama’s health care speech to a joint session of Congress. Name him.Joe Wilson

8. In August, two U.S. journalists were captured then arrested and held in North Korea. What are their names?Euna Lee and Laura Ling

9. The two journalists were captured and arrested along a river on the border between China and North Korea. Name the River.The Tumen River

10. The pair’s release was finalized by former President Bill Clinton, who flew back with them on a private jet to Burbank. Name the financier who provided the jet.Steve Bing

11. A healthcare reform bill centers on the powerful Senate Finance Committee. Who is this committee’s chairman and what state does he represent?Max Baucus, of Montana

12. Who is the Senate Finance Committee’s ranking member and the state he represents?Charles “Chuck” Grassley, of Iowa.

13. In February California State Senate republicans replaced their leader with Dennis Hollingsworth of Murietta, after many in the minority party were unhappy with the progress on budget efforts. Name the state senator who preceded Hollingsworth as the state senate minority leader.Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto)

14. What is the name of the fertility doctor who implanted the embryos that resulted in octuplets for Nadya Suleman?Dr. Michael M. Kamrava

15. What is the Indonesia city that experience the brunt of a 7.6 magnitude earthquake last week off the coast of Sumatra?Padang

16. Late last month, a powerful tropical storm wreaked havoc on the Phillippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. What was the name of this typhoon?Ketsana

17. A second typhoon hit the region earlier this week, causing more destruction. What is the name of this second storm?Parma

18. An incident between a Harvard Professor and a Cambridge Police Sergeant drew national headlines for a week. Name the professor and the police sergeant.Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sgt. James Crowley.

19. Senator Ted Kennedy died at the Kennedy Compound, the family’s Massachusetts home for generations. What Cape Cod village is the Kennedy Compound located in?Hyannis Port

20. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City turns 50 years old later this month. Name the architect who designed it.Frank Lloyd Wright.

21. Last week, the Israeli government released 20 female Palestinian prisoners in exchange for proof that a soldier captured three years ago was still alive. They ultimately want that soldier freed. Name the soldier.Gilad Shalit

22. Yorba Linda assemblyman Mike Duvall resigned on Sept. 9 after explicit remarks he made about alleged sexual conquests were captured on an open mike. He was speaking to a fellow assemblyman at the time. Name that assemblyman.Jeff Miller (of Corona)

23. The LA County Health Department expected to receive its first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine known as FluMist this week. What is the name of the company that makes FluMist?MedImmune (its parent company AstraZeneca also acceptable as an answer)

24. Two U.C. Berkeley police officers were instrumental in the arrest of Phillip Garrido and the discovery of Jaycee Dugard, who was kidnapped at the age of 11 in 1991. Name the two Berkeley officers.Lisa Campbell and Allison (or Ally) Jacobs

25. In June, an Air France flight from Brazil to France crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 on board. What type of plane, make and model number, was that jet?Airbus 330 (or A-330)

ROUND 2: SPORTS and SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LIVING

1. Name the three Western Conference Teams the Los Angeles Lakers defeated in order to reach the 2009 NBA Finals. Name them in order from the first round to the conference finals.Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets

2. Just like he did at the Beijing Olympics, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt set jaw-dropping world records en route to gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter sprints at the 2009 World Track and Field championships. What city did the championships take place in?Berlin

3. Tennis great Serena Williams lost a semifinal match at the 2009 U.S. Open because she was deducted a point, during match point, for unsportsmanlike behavior after yelling at a line judge for a disputed foot-fault call. Who was Serena playing against?Kim Clijsters

4. The Los Angeles Clippers landed the first pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Who did they pick?Blake Griffin

5. After finding out someone had been impersonating him on Twitter, NBA great Shaquille O’Neal started his own account, which now has more than two million followers on the microblogging site. What is his Twitter I.D.?The Real Shaq or The_Real_Shaq

6. When he arrived in Marina del Rey in July, this Southern California teenager became the youngest person ever to sail around the world solo, a title he held for just six weeks. What is this teen’s name?Zac Sunderland

7. What is name of this teen’s boat?Intrepid

8. What TV star is New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter currently dating, and what film star is Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez currently dating? Minka Kelly and Kate Hudson

9. Who defeated Tiger Woods at the PGA Championships in August?Y.E. Yang

10. The US, represented by California, defeated Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) in this year’s Little League World Series. From what city in California did the winning team hail?Chula Vista

11. This college football season, both the 2007 and 2008 Heisman Trophy winners stayed in school to lead their respective football teams. Name each player and his school, starting with the 2007 winner.Tim Tebow, Florida. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

12. The Lakers lost only one player from the 2008-2009 World Championship squad after Trevor Ariza signed with the Houston Rockets. What Los Angeles-area high school, which has long had a strong basketball program, did Ariza graduate from?Westchester

13. What is the name of the running-back centered offense the Miami Dolphins introduced to the NFL in 2008? The Wildcat 14. In his former life, the mayor of Sacramento was an all-star guard in the National Basketball Association. Name him.Kevin Johnson

15. In his former life, the mayor of Detroit was an all-star guard in the National Basketball Association. Name him.Dave Bing

16. There are four California area codes that start with the number 8. One is 818 for the San Fernando Valley. What are the other three?805, 831, 858

17. At the start of the 2009 baseball season, a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher died in a tragic car accident in Fullerton. Name the pitcher.Nick Adenhardt

18. Name the Dodger Stadium organist.Nancy Bea Hefley (or Nancy Bea)

19. The tallest dam in the United States is on the Feather River in Northern California. What city is this dam just outside of?Oroville

20. What major interstate would you take to drive from El Centro, California to Yuma, Arizona?Interstate 8

21. What Roman Goddess is featured on the Seal of the Great State of California? Minerva (for judges notes, will not accept Greek name of Athena)

22. Starting in 2010, the U.S. Mint will begin a program of new commemorative quarters called “America the Beautiful.” What beloved California place will be featured for this state’s quarter?Yosemite National Park

23. What is the motto of the California State University system?Vox Veritas Vita or “Voice Truth Life”

24. What is the local name for winds in Santa Barbara County that happen when high pressure is directly north of the region?Sundowner Winds

25. As a train announcer on the Jack Benny radio program, Mel Blanc would call out a train leaving for three Southern California communities. Name the three communities in the order he would say them in.Anaheim, Azusa and Cuc…… Amonga.

ROUND 3: SCIENCE, LITERATURE, HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY

1. What city was President Barack Obama born in?Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America.

2. This narrow path through the Appalachian Mountains where Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee meet allowed hundreds of thousands of American settlers to move west into Kentucky and the Ohio Valley. What is this place called?Cumberland Gap or Cumberland Water Gap (Cumberland Narrows NOT acceptable; that’s in Maryland).

3. What is the most populous U.S. city in the Mountain Standard Time Zone?Phoenix, Arizona

4. President Obama named this Nobel Laureate as his Secretary of Energy. What is his name?Steven Chu

5. The September Station Fire produced giant towering clouds, frighteningly reminiscent of an atomic bomb explosion, which could be seen throughout the Southland. What is the name for this type of cloud?Pyrocumulus

6. The Mt. Wilson Observatory was founded in 1904 by this man:George Ellery Hale

7. There are five members of the G-20 group of nations that have capital cities south of the Equator. Of the five, name the three countries that are not located in South America.Indonesia, South Africa and Australia.

8. What is the more commonly known name of the equatorial calms, a region around the Equator where the winds are light?The Doldrums

9. The first authorized Winnie the Pooh book in more than 80 years went on sale this week. It included a new character named Lottie. What kind of animal is Lottie?An otter

10. The 1941 children’s book “Make Way for Ducklings” by Robert McCloskey takes place in what major American city?Boston

11. What is the largest U.S. city that shares a border with Canada?Detroit

12. Dan Brown’s latest thriller, The Lost Symbol, again features symbologist Robert Langdon. This time, Langdon goes to what major U.S. city for his caper?Washington D.C.

13. In 1996, Oprah Winfrey started her now hugely influential book club with her selection of a novel by Jacquelyn Pritchard. Name the novel.The Deep End of the Ocean

14. In the 1830s, a Frenchman visited young America to observe the country and upon his return, wrote an influential two-volume book called “Democracy in America.” What was his name?Alexis de Tocqueville

15. In late 1944, Germany launched a large offensive push against Allied Forces in the Ardennes Mountains of Belgium. The battle fought there would become one of the most important battles of World War II. What is this battle best known as?The Battle of the Bulge

16. What is the date that Elvis Presley died? Month, Day, and Year.August 16, 1977

17. What city and state was King of Pop Michael Jackson born in?Gary, Indiana

18. Last week, an undersea earthquake caused a tsunami that killed scores in Samoa and the U.S. territory of American Samoa. What is the capital of American Samoa?Pago Pago

19. In August, a catastrophic accident took place in the hydro-electric plant of the Sayano-Shushenskya Dam. What river is this dam on?Yenisei River

20. What is the nickname researchers have given the skeleton made from fossils found in Ethiopia dating back 4.4 million years ago?Ardi

21. In December 1969, a concert that was supposed to be the West Coast’s answer to Woodstock gained notoriety instead for one homicide and three accidental deaths. Name the concert.The Altamont Free Concert (will take Altamont Speedway Free Festival or Altamont)

22. In 2010, NASA will retire the 33-year-old space shuttle program. Name the three space shuttle orbiters currently operational and in use.Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavor

23. The southern end of the Mariana Trench is where the deepest surveyed point in the ocean lies. What is the name of this place?The Challenger Deep

24. The symbol for the element Tungsten is W because of the German name it also goes by. What is that name?Wolfram

25. Recently, the Berlin Zoo’s famous Knut [kuh-NEWT] the polar bear met his first female bear, on loan from the Munich Zoo. What is her name?Gianna [or Giovanna]

ROUND 4: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

1. From what country is Gustavo Dudamel, the new director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic?Venezuela

2. Garrison Keillor signs off the Prairie Home Companion’s news from Lake Woebegon each week by describing the women, men and children of the town. In order from women, to men, to children, give the words or phrases that describe each.Strong, good-looking, above-average

3. The video for George Michael’s worldwide hit “Freedom ’90” featured a who’s who of the world’s top supermodels of the late 1980s. Name the supermodel who appeared first in the video, picking up a remote control.Linda Evangelista

4. At the MTV 2009 Video Music Awards, artist Lady Gaga arrived with a famous date, who among his long list of credits, was the performer on a 1970’s Academy Award-nominated song. Name Lady Gaga’s date, and name his well-known song.Kermit the Frog, “The Rainbow Connection”

5. The Nickelodeon show “Ni Hao, Kai Lan” stars a young girl, her wise grandfather, and her animal friends. What is the name of her Tiger Friend?Rintoo

6. Name the two members of the L.A. hip-hop group the New Boyz, who are leaders in the jerking scene.Ben J and Legacy.

7. Susan Boyle of Scotland became an international sensation when she first performed on Britain’s Got Talent. What was the name of the song that first catapulted her into Internet stardom?“I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables

8. Hip hop artist Flo Rida had a hit this year with “Right Round,” a song that sampled from ’80s hit “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record).” What is the name of the group that originally recorded that hit?Dead Or Alive

9. Name the two members of LMFAO.Redfoo and Sky Blu

10. Langly, Frohike and Byers is not a law firm, but a popular trio from the hit ’90s TV series The X-Files. What are they better known as?The Lone Gunmen

11. Stump became the oldest dog ever to win Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Dog Show this year. What breed is Stump? Be Specific.Sussex spaniel

12. What is the name of the woman dumped by single dad Jason Mesnick on the Bachelor, who later competed on Dancing With The Stars?Melissa Rycroft

13. Australian artist and designer Yiying Lu is well known for her illustration used by Twitter when its services are unavailable. What’s the nickname of this well-known illustration?Fail Whale

14. A 26-year-old fashion designer, born in Taiwan, found instant fame earlier this year when First Lady Michelle Obama chose to wear his one-shouldered white chiffon ball gown for the inauguration night festivities. Name him.Jason Wu

15. Although Samantha Harris is the current co-host of Dancing With the Stars, paired with Emmy-nominated Tom Bergeron, what was the name of Bergeron’s original co-host for the show’s first season?Lisa Canning

17. Farrah Fawcett, famous for playing Jill Munroe on Charlie’s Angels, died this year. What is the name of the detective agency for which Jill and the other Angels worked?Townsend Agency

18. What are the names of the two teams that competed against each other on this season’s I Survived A Japanese Game Show on ABC?Red Robots and Green Tigers

19. Helen Phillips became the oldest winner ever of NBC’s The Biggest Loser when she dropped 140 lbs. during season seven. How old was Helen?48 years old

20. What is the name of the film in which Angelina Jolie starred with her first husband, Jonny Lee Miller?Hackers

21. Swedish furniture giant Ikea found itself under siege by design critics last month when it switched the font in its ubiquitous catalog. Name the former font, then the new font.Futura, Verdana

22. John Cho of Harold and Kumar fame stars on the new TV show FlashFoward, in which all of earth’s population blacks out for a short period of time. How long is this time period?2 minutes, 17 seconds OR 137 seconds.

23. Kal Penn of Harold and Kumar fame made news this year when he left his acting career for a job in the Obama administration. His last role was on the show House. What was his character’s name?Dr. Lawrence Kutner

24. On the new FOX series Glee, what is the name of McKinley High School’s glee club?New Directions

25. In John Hughes’ hit film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ferris alters a reservation at the Chez Quis restaurant and adopts the identity of the Sausage King of Chicago. What is the name of the Sausage King of Chicago?Abe Frohman